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With its fast-pace and brutal nature, winning a Mixed Martial Arts bout is an achievement in itself.

But incredible fighter Lee Hoy is proving to be an inspiration – despite being registered blind, he continually beats fully-sighted opponents.

The 26-year-old has been officially blind since birth due to a condition known as toxoplasmosis but decided to give MMA a try two years ago in order to gain some self-defense skills.

However, he ended up falling in love with the sport and now regularly competes against opponents with full sight – and is beating them. He has won bronze medals at his last two grappling competitions, including one last month.

Lee Hoy has been registered blind since birth (Picture: BrightCove)

He’s pretty incredible in the ring (Picture: BrightCove)

Lee has been taking down sighted opponents (Picture: BrightCove)

Despite not being able to see anything other than the outlines of his sparring partners, Hoy is still adept at taking down his opponents and credits MMA for his new-found self-confidence.

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‘I’m a totally changed person because of the sport, and feel a lot more confident in myself and happy. I can walk the streets with my head high, and feel that I can look after myself if I need to,’ he told the Shields Gazette.

‘I love the sport to bits, and I’ve tried to persuade a lot of my visually-impaired and blind friends to take it up.

‘My lack of sight presents a lot of challenges in MMA, and because of the damage to my retinas, the depth is difficult to get used to. Close range and in grappling, it’s not as bad because I can hold onto the other person, and I feel more comfortable.’

Hoy’s next challenge will be a local boxing demonstration in August, which he will also take part in alongside fully-sighted colleagues.